Rail-joint.



P. VP. RAGALLBR.

BAIL JOINT. PILIGATION FILED JUNE 5, 1907.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 20, 1908.

Applicatun filed June 5, 1907. Serial No. 377,444.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, PETER P. RAGALLER, citizen of the United States of America, residing at Avella, in the county of lVashington and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a speciication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to im rovements in rail joints, and the invention as for its object provision of positive and reliable means for connecting the confronting ends of two rails, whereby said rails cannot become accidentally displaced with relation to one another.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rail joint having a continuing tread, thereby dispensing with the jarring movement experienced by rolling stock passing over a joint. i

A further object of this invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive rail joint, wherein the use of nuts and bolts is entirely eliminated.

A still further obj ect of this invention is to provide a rail fastener'that can be easily and quickly a plied to the confronting ends of two rails or firmly holding the same.

I/Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in a novel construe tion, combination and arrangement of parts to be presently described, illustrated and then specically pointed out in the appended claim.

Referring to the drawing forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rail joint. Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, and Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view oi the joint.

To put my invention into practice, I use two rails 1 and 2, the rail 1 having its web 3 and base flanges 4 cut away, as at 5, while the rail 2 has its head 6 out away, as at 7, to receive the head 8 of the rail 1, the protruding head of the rail 1 resting upon the web 9 of the rail 2. By so iitting the rails 1 and 2 together, I provide a continuous tread -for the rolling stock of a railroad.

The webs 3 and 9 of the rails 1 and 2 respectively are provided with openings 10 and parallel with the webs 3 and 9 are arranged plates 11 and 12, said plates having openings 14 Jformed therein, alining with the openings l 10 of the rails 1 and 2 and the plate 11 is of greater thickness than the plate 12. Each of the plates are of less width than the width of the web of a rail section.

Extending into the openings 14 and 10 are the ends 15 of a yoke 16, said yoke lying flush with the plate 11. The ends 15 of the yoke are provided with slots 17 to receive tapering keys 18, said keys engaging the plate 12. The smaller ends of the keys 18 are provided with openings 19 for cotter pins 20 employed for retaining the'keys in the ends of the yoke.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawing, it will be observed that I have devised a comparatively inexpensive rail joint, which revents vertical and lateral displacement o the rails. The joint can be formed without the use of skilled labor, and the many other advantages of the same will be apparent to those skilled in the art of track construction.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a rail joint, the combination ol" abutting rail sections having the webs thereof provided with circular openings, of sh plates positioned at each side of the webs and having openings in alineme'nt with the openings in the webs, each oi said lish plates of less width than the width of a web of a rail section, one oi said fish plates of less thickness than the other of said iish plates, a yoke sha ed fastening member extending through saicl) plates and webs and abutting against the iish plate of greater thickness, said mem ber cylindrical in cross section at any point throughout its length and having each of its arms provided with a rectangular opening extending in the direction of the length of the rail sections, a longitudinally-extending tapering key detachably secured in each of said openings Jfor retaining said member in position, said keys independent oi' each other and having the smaller ends opposing each other, said keys provided with vertically-extending circular openings in close proximity to the smaller ends thereof, andv cotter pins engaging in said vertically-extending openings.

In testimony whereof I alix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PETER P. RAGALLER.

Witnesses:

C. M. SHORT, W. W. WIEGMANN. 

